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The FHA Loan That Helps You Build On Your Own Lot

October 24, 2019

The FHA Loan That Helps You Build On Your Own Lot

The FHA One-Time Close construction loan FHA One-Time Close Loan is a mortgage that lets the borrower design and build a home on the borrower’s own land. If you would rather build a home rather than look at real estate listings for an existing construction house, the One-Time Close loan is for you.

There is an FHA version of the One-Time Close construction mortgage that requires a low 3.5% down payment. There is also a version of this construction loan offered by the VA to qualifying veterans and currently serving military members.

The VA One-time Close construction loan has a 0% down / zero-down option. No money down is required for a VA construction loan up to the VA loan limit. See the end of this article for more information about finding a participating VA or FHA lender who knows these loans well.

The loan process begins with getting pre-approved for the FHA loan, then the borrower must find a general contractor for the project. Your lender will need to approve your choice, and once that is done the next step is to find a lot to build the home on.

The building project itself must also be approved. The builder must submit a list of costs to the lender, who reviews those expenses and structures the mortgage. The loan closes, the borrower pays the down payment, and the construction work begins.

The major difference in this type of construction loan is that there is only a single loan for both the construction of the home and the mortgage itself. Some types of construction loan require one loan for the construction and a separate loan for the mortgage, forcing the borrower to credit-qualify twice for the same home.

Not so with FHA One-Time Close mortgages, which eliminate the second round of credit qualifying. VA and FHA One-Time Close loans give the borrower more confidence to borrow and build knowing there’s no possibility of surprise with the single loan application and closing date.

Want More Information About One-Time Close Loans?

One-Time Close Loans are available for FHA, VA and USDA Mortgages.  These loans also go by the following names: 1 X Close, Single-Close Loan or OTC Loan. This type of loan allows for you to finance the purchase of the land along with the construction of the home. You can also use land that you own free and clear or has an existing mortgage.

We have done extensive research on the FHA (Federal Housing Administration), the VA (Department of Veterans Affairs) and the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) One-Time Close Construction loan programs. We have spoken directly to licensed lenders that originate these residential loan types in most states and each company has supplied us the guidelines for their products. We can connect you with mortgage loan officers who work for lenders that know the product well and have consistently provided quality service. If you are interested in being contacted to one licensed construction lender in your area, please send responses to the questions below. All information is treated confidentially.

OneTimeClose.com provides information and connects consumers to qualified One-Time Close lenders in an effort to raise awareness about this loan product and to help consumers receive higher quality service. We are not paid for endorsing or recommending the lenders or loan originators and do not otherwise benefit from doing so. Consumers should shop for mortgage services and compare their options before agreeing to proceed.

Please note that investor guidelines for the FHA, VA and USDA One-Time Close Construction Program only allows for single family dwellings (1 unit) – and NOT for multi-family units (no duplexes, triplexes or fourplexes). You CANNOT act as your own general contractor (Builder) / not available in all States.

In addition, this is a partial list of the following homes/building styles that are not allowed under these programs:  Kit Homes, Barndominiums, Log Cabin or Bamboo Homes, Shipping Container Homes, Dome Homes, Bermed Earth-Sheltered Homes, Stilt Homes, Solar (only) or Wind Powered (only) Homes, Tiny Homes, Carriage Houses, Accessory Dwelling Units and A-Framed Homes.

Your email to info@onetimeclose.com authorizes Onetimeclose.com to share your personal information with a mortgage construction lender licensed in your area to contact you.

  1. Send your first and last name, e-mail address, and contact telephone number.
  2. Tell us the city and state of the proposed property.
  3. Tell us your and/or the Co-borrower’s credit profile: Excellent – (680+), Good – (640-679), Fair – (620-639) or Poor- (Below 620). 620 is the minimum qualifying credit score for this product.
  4. Are you or your spouse (Co-borrower) eligible veterans? If either of you are eligible veteran’s, down payments as low as $0 may be available up to the maximum amount your debt-to-income ratio VA will allow – there are no maximum loan amounts as per VA guidelines.  Most lenders will go up to $1,000,000 and review higher loan amounts on a case by case basis.   If not an eligible veteran, the FHA down payment is 3.5% up to the maximum FHA lending limit for your county.
Bruce Reichstein - FHA News Author

By Bruce Reichstein

Bruce Reichstein has spent over three decades as an experienced FHA and VA home loan mortgage banker and underwriter where he was responsible for funding “Billions” in government backed mortgage loans. He is the Managing Editor for FHANewsblog.com where he educates homeowners on the specific guidelines for obtaining FHA guaranteed home loans.

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